Tiatr, Chuk Konnachi? written and directed by Fr Doel Dias, and presented by the Carmel College of Arts, Science & Commerce for Women, Nuvem, is an eye opener for all those who abandon or dump children in orphanages in an attempt to hide their sins.
It also focuses on those who seek shelter in old age homes as the last resort. This tiatr was presented at the All Goa Collegiate/HSS tiatr competition, and it picked up the first prize for performance.
This fine presentation on stage carries a good twist which can be vividly seen and enjoyed in the second half of the drama.
ABOUT THE TIATR
Whose mistake is it that there are children in the orphanage, and the elderly in aged homes? This is the query made by the orphan in the concluding scene of the tiatr.
The curtains unfold to a scene wherein Elsy (Clareema Fernandes) can hear, in the background, insults from her landlady asking her to vacate the house as she is carrying an illegitimate child in her womb.
The orphan, Ivy (Vianca Fernandes), finds entry in the Holy Cross College, but falls victim to ragging by Melita (Meckenzia Dourado), who is a villain, and her college mate.
Fortunatey, Ivy has a bunch of friends, who are very supportive and encourage her to grow in her inborn talents.
Ivy also finds Sir Antonio (Vishwapratap Pawar) not only as a mentor and guide, but also as a close friend, who is ready to assist his student.
Ivy wins the first place in a singing competition, but her rival, Melita, is jealous and cannot bear the thought of the victory. Since birth, Ivy was brought up in the orphanage, ‘God’s Home,’ which is run by a nun (Dianne D’Costa). There’s Carmin (Benicia Costa) and Jaki (Agnelo Dias) who are inmates and assist the orphans.
Ivy is eager to meet her parents, but she doesn't know how to go about it. Sir Antonio assures her that he will help in whatever way he can.
Meanwhile, over a period of time, Elsy, who has now found shelter in an old age home, comes in search of her daughter, who was abandoned at the doorsteps of God’s Home.
What traverses between mother and daughter after the unexpected encounter is worth watching during the second half of the drama.
BEHIND THE SCENES
All the artistes have given a fine performance on stage. Vianca Fernandes stands out in the lead role with a good expression of emotions. She is ably assisted by Clareema Fernandes and Vishwapratap Pawar and other artistes.
For some lighter moments, there’s Benicia, Agnelo and Nandu (Meetal Raikar) at the tea shop. They carry a good dose of laughter pills with them.
In the category of songs, there are good renditions on stage from solos, duos, duet, trio, quartet and 3 chorals. Senon and his musical team supported all the singers with good live music off stage.
The stage sets by Analee Gonsalves, light effects by Fr Doel Dias and background music by Noela Ataide and Mazella Fernandes deserve appreciation.